Onyshchenko Applying for Political Asylum in the UK

Oleksandr Onyshchenko, an MP of the Volya Narodu [Eng.: The People’s Will] faction is in London and preparing to litigate against Ukrainian law enforcement authorities, he reported on his Facebook page. He also said on air on 112 Channel that he had applied for political asylum in the UK.

According to him, he resides in London legally. He hired a reputable international law firm to litigate against the Ukrainian authorities and prove his innocence. He specified that he had selected London because he needed "a fully transparent process to evaluate the evidence."

He accused Ukrainian law enforcement of public lies and forgery of evidence and asserted that the British judiciary is known for being incorruptible and conducting thorough and comprehensive assessment of evidence.

"It’s also very important that the judiciary in London is very sensitive to the obvious political speculations in cases similar to my case," Onyshchenko added.

He asserted that the charges against him were only based on rumors, allegations and forgery. He also highlighted that it was impossible to stand trial in Ukraine because "the investigation is violating each and every principle of the right to a fair trial."

Moreover, Onyshchenko called on the NABU Chief Artem Sytnyk and Lead Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Nazar Kholodnytskyi to stop disseminating false charges and lies about his stay in Russia. He was in Russia on a ‘very short personal trip,’ he claimed.

Onyshchenko’s lawyers confirmed to Ukrayinska Pravda that the MP was in London preparing an official statement about his whereabouts with his lawyers.

Speaking on air on 112 Channel, Onyshchenko said that his business in Ukraine had been completely seized, refusing to provide details on who had been involved. He also claimed that the investigation put pressure on the witnesses in his case. He applied for political asylum in the U.K, he added.

On July 5, the Verkhovna Rada agreed to launch criminal proceedings against Onyshchenko, but he fled Ukraine before this day and now is hiding from justice. He is believed to be the mastermind of an embezzlement scheme through state-run gas company Ukrgazvydobuvannia.

Source: Ukrayinska Pravda